Search Bernalillo County Inmates

Bernalillo County Jail Roster Overview

The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center, known as MDC, is the county jail for adults arrested and held in Bernalillo County. The official roster is the MDC custody, arrest, and release portal at viaintfacep2.bernco.gov. The portal terms say the data is provided for reference only, commercial use is prohibited, and the county does not guarantee that every record is current. A Cloudflare Turnstile check appears before the "I Agree" button renders, and the older terms text says the site was built for Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, though modern browsers do load the public list pages.

The system pulls together three public views. The Inmate Custody List shows people currently held at MDC, the Inmate Release List shows people released within the past two weeks, and the Arrest List shows recent bookings, generally within the past seven days. Booking data flows in from the arresting agency at the time the person is admitted to MDC intake, and bail, hold, and release fields update as Metro Court or District Court orders move the case forward. The roster does not show people held in state prison, federal custody, immigration detention, or short-term municipal lockups.

People who have been transferred to state custody appear in the New Mexico Corrections Department offender locator, and federal inmates appear in the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator. Anyone who needs to verify a current location should call MDC at 505-839-8700 before treating the online status as final.

How to Use the Bernalillo County Inmate Roster

The custody list accepts partial names, partial inmate IDs, and a single arrest date. Searches that return no result usually mean the person is no longer in MDC custody, was released within the past two weeks (so they may be on the release list), or was booked at a different facility. The portal opens to a terms page; the search form appears after the Turnstile check completes and the user clicks I Agree.

1. Open the MDC custody list and complete the Turnstile verification.
2. Click I Agree on the terms page to load the search form.
3. Enter a last name. Partial spellings are allowed.
4. Add a first name to narrow common surnames.
5. Or enter the numeric Inmate ID if it is known from a prior search.
6. Click Search to view the matching list of bookings.
7. Click a row to open the full record detail, with charges, warrants, and bail.
8. If no result appears, switch to the Release List or call 505-839-8700.

The official MDC sample booking detail shows what a full record contains once a profile is opened. The example record at viaintfacep2.bernco.gov/custodylist/Detail/22272483225634 displays the standard MDC layout with admission, charges, warrants, and bail fields organized as tables.

The page header reads "MDC Custody List - Record Detail," and the booking context line names the booking number under review. Each table on the detail page corresponds to one part of the booking and is searchable in the data the portal exposes.

MDC Roster Search Fields

The MDC search form is short. Most users start with last name only and add a first name if the result set is too long. The portal text confirms that any combination of fields is accepted, and the search button alone returns the full list.

The release list and arrest list share the same search frame. If the first search returns no rows, switching to the release list often finds someone who was let out within the past two weeks. Older bookings drop off both public lists and remain available only through a records request to Metro Court or the Second Judicial District Court Clerk.

What an MDC Inmate Profile Shows

Every MDC custody detail page follows the same layout. The header names the booking and an "As of" timestamp with the time zone. Identity is at the top, followed by admission, then the case-related tables. The detail page links back to the search form and the prior result set so a user can keep browsing without re-running the query.

The bail details table is where release information appears once a person leaves custody. Release Type values seen in sample MDC records include ROR for release on recognizance, Release to DOC for transfer to state prison, Case(s) Consolidated, Third Party, and Other - See Comments. For the underlying charges, the case number prefix tells the user which court handles the matter: T4FR or T4DV for Metro Court, and D202CR or D202PD for District Court criminal cases. Charge statutes follow New Mexico citation style and link back to the section of state law that defines the offense.

Bernalillo County Jail Facilities

The Metropolitan Detention Center on the West Mesa is the county's only large adult jail. It is the holding point for adults arrested in Albuquerque, Los Ranchos, Tijeras, and the unincorporated county. The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and the Albuquerque Police Department book most of the people held there. Federal inmates and state prisoners are not housed at MDC except for short transfers.

UNM Institute for Social Research and UNM News describe MDC as a roughly 1,950-bed facility, with average daily population around 1,803 in October 2024 and rising since the COVID-era low. Booking volume drives most of the changes seen in the daily roster, so a refresh during business hours often picks up new admissions that were not visible an hour earlier. For broader trends, see the Bernalillo County inmate population page.

Booking Process in Bernalillo County

An arrest in the county usually starts with Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office deputies, Albuquerque Police, a campus or transit officer, or another local agency. The arresting agency transports the person to MDC. Intake records identity and booking data, assigns a booking number and person ID, and logs the admission date and time. Charges and any warrant holds attach to the booking through case numbers used by Metro Court or the Second Judicial District.

From booking, the case moves quickly to a first appearance. For most felony arrests, Bernalillo County uses the Metropolitan Court for the first appearance and preliminary matters before a case is bound over or indicted into the Second Judicial District Court. Misdemeanor and DWI cases stay in Metro Court for plea and trial. Domestic violence cases follow the T4DV path. A judge sets bond or orders preventive detention at the first appearance, and the bail details on the MDC profile update once the court acts.

Note: The MDC portal warns that the roster is a reference list only, and users are responsible for confirming the accuracy of any custody status before they act on it.

Visitation, Mail, and Contact

MDC publishes visitation, mail, and money-deposit rules through its inmate handbook and the county website. Schedules and rules change. The county's own portal text does not publish a static weekly schedule, so visitors should confirm hours by phone before showing up. Photo identification is required for in-person visits, the visitor must be on the inmate's approved list, and the housing unit drives which time window is open.

The general information number for these questions is 505-839-8700. Calls go through the MDC operator and can be routed to the housing unit, classification, the chaplain, or medical, depending on the issue. Legal calls and attorney visits are handled through MDC professional visitation; attorneys should call MDC ahead of time to confirm bar card requirements and confidential meeting procedures.

State, Federal, and Other Custody

If a Bernalillo County inmate is moved out of MDC, the next stop depends on the case. People sentenced to a year or more in prison transfer to the New Mexico Corrections Department. NMCD runs the offender search at cd.nm.gov, and a separate search interface lives at search.cd.nm.gov. Adult prison data updates nightly. Probation and parole data updates in real time. NMCD inmate records can be reached at 505-690-9790.

Federal arrests in Albuquerque hold at the Pete V. Domenici federal courthouse for first appearance, then move to U.S. Marshals contract beds while the case is pending. After sentencing, the federal Bureau of Prisons takes custody. Look those people up through the Federal BOP inmate locator. The BOP locator searches by register number or by name with optional race, age, and sex filters, and the result row shows name, register number, age, race, sex, release date, and location.

For victim notification on either state prison or county jail status, New Mexico uses VINE and the related VINELink web tools. The NMCD victim services brochure lists 1-877-VICTIM4 (1-877-842-8464) for the automated phone line.

Related Bernalillo County Searches

For people recently released, see released inmates. For broader population data, see inmate population. For active warrants and bench warrants, see warrant records. For the underlying criminal cases tied to a booking, see arrest records and court records.